New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers 3/12

The Yankees struggled yesterday offensively and with the starting pitching and look to rebound today as they take on the Detroit Tigers. Hiroki Kuroda will make the start for the New York Yankees after pitching well, although struggling with control a little, against the Detroit Tigers on Friday. The game will be televised at 1:05 pm ET on the YES Network, MLB TV, and MLB Network.

Babe Ruth & Why He Never Managed

Babe Ruth was interested in managing a club, namely the New York Yankees, after his playing career ended and there is a very big reason why that never happened, the club feared that Ruth would break the color barrier and allow and play black players on the team. This shocking story came from Babe's daughter herself, Julia Ruth Stevens, at 97 years old. Ruth Stevens was speaking with the New York Times when he told the story to the times Peter Kerasotis, SEEN HERE.

Here are a few quotes from Ruth Stevens:

"Daddy would have had blacks on his team, definitely," she said. "He really thought he deserved to manage. Daddy knew baseball. He always felt he would be a better manager than Joe McCarthy. He always talked about that." 

"Ruth also was known to frequent New York City’s Cotton Club and befriended black athletes and celebrities," Kerasotis wrote. "He once brought Bill Robinson, a tap-dancer and actor known as Bojangles, into the Yankees’ clubhouse. Robinson also was with Ruth during the 1932 World Series in Chicago, and at the game when Ruth was said to have called his home run. When Ruth died in August 1948, Robinson was an honorary pallbearer."

It's really hard to fathom now the blatant ignorance and racism that was all over the game and the country at this time, it really is. Who knows what Ruth could have done if he was a manager, but then again who really knows if this was the real reason. We will never know but either way it's a shame. Jackie Robinson would break the color barrier in 1947, a full ten years after Ruth retired and a year before Ruth passed away.

Yankee Stadium Legacy: #19 Spud Chandler

Spud Chandler, given name Spurgeon, pitched each of his 11 Major League seasons with the New York Yankees, twice winning 20 games in a season. Spud finished his career with a .717 winning percentage, second highest in Major League history. Spud was the American League MVP in 1943 after going 20-4 with 20 complete games, five shutouts, and a 1.64 ERA.

19 days until Yankees Opening Day.

This Day In New York Yankees History 3/12

On this day in 1903 the New York Highlanders, soon to be renamed the Yankees in 1913, were approved to be admitted into the American League.

On this day in 2008 the benches cleared in a rare spring training brawl between the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Yankees. New York's Shelley Duncan slid into second base with his spikes aimed at Rays infielder Akinori Iwamura after being thrown out by a wide margin. Four days earlier the Rays played aggressively and injured Francisco Cervelli with a home plate collision.

CC terrible as Yanks fall to Nats, 3-2

CC Sabathia gave up 3 earned runs (4 hits) in 3 innings of work today as the Yankees fell to the Nationals without much of a fight, 3-2. Throughout this one's first 4.2 innings, the Yanks amazingly didn't get a single guy on base, so yeah, I guess you could say that they struggled here. 

Anyway, after that runner-less drought ended the Bombers did manage to score 2 runs this afternoon, as Dean Anna singled home Eduardo Nunez in the fifth and Brett Gardner drove Zoilo Almonte in with a Sac Fly in the sixth. So yeah people, at least there's that. I guess, in some ways, this game wasn't a complete disaster.

Yankees Trying To Trade Ichiro With No Luck

According to Jon Heyman on Twitter the New York Yankees have been trying to shop spare outfielder Ichiro Suzuki basically all winter long and have had little to no success. 40 year old Ichiro will start the season with the Yankees unless something drastic changes in the next two or three weeks. Ichiro is making $6.5 million this season as a fifth outfielder if you include Alfonso Soriano spending a lot of time at DH, that's a lot.

Hal Steinbrenner signed Ichiro for two years hoping for the 3,000 hit parade to come to New York and draw in revenue, after a season in which Ichiro hit .262/.297/.342 that obviously did not happen. Now the Yankees will try to unload him and that contract, and I find it unlikely that they do so. Looks like we're stuck with Ichiro for at least a couple more months.

New York Yankees Spring Training News & Notes 3/11

Just a few New York Yankees spring training news and notes from my porch as I watch my son play in his firetruck on a 80 degree day. Enjoy the day Yankees fans.

Nik Turley is still experiencing tightness in his throwing forearm and is still shut down for the immediate future. Not great news for a guy who had a shot, albeit a very outside shot, at making the team out of the bullpen this camp.

Masahiro Tanaka threw his first simulated game of his professional career here in the states. Jake Cave and Cito Culver did not stand a chance against Tanaka today as pitching coach Larry Rothschild called balls and strikes behind the mound. John Ryan Murphy caught Tanaka possibly squashing the idea of Francisco Cervelli being his personal catcher.

David Phelps, Ivan Nova, Michael Pineda, Adam Warren, Bruce Billings, Bryan Mitchell, Manny Banuelos, Chris Leroux, and Shane Greene all threw side sessions today.  Along with Tanaka, Davis Robertson, Matt Thornton, Preston Claiborne, and Vidal Nuno all threw simulated games today to Cervelli.

CC Sabathia sucked today, his words not mine. CC's velocity was in the 88 - 89 MPH range but velocity may not have been the problem. CC experimented with his new cutter today so I expected mixed results and apparently so did he.

Chad Jennings with the assignments from the day:

Batting practice groups in Tampa:
Group 1: Carlos Beltran, Derek Jeter, Brian Roberts, Alfonso Soriano, Ichiro Suzuki
Group 2: Russ Canzler, Francisco Cervelli, Kelly Johnson, John Ryan Murphy

· Today’s second string: C Gary Sanchez, 1B Francisco Arcia, 2B Corban Joseph, SS Yangervis Solarte, 3B Zelous Wheeler, LF Antoan Richardson, CF Mason Williams, RF Ramon Flores, DH Pete O’Brien

· Today’s scheduled relievers: Cesar Cabral, Fred Lewis, Matt Daley, Brian Gordon, Jim Miller and David Herndon (with Dellin Betances, Chase Whitley, Mark Montgomery and Danny Burawa also making the trip)

New York Yankees vs. Washington Nationals 3/11

The New York Yankees are coming off their first full off day of the spring to take on the Washington Nationals in their latest spring training game in the Grapefruit League. CC Sabathia will start the game for the Yankees while Masahiro Tanaka will pitch a simulated game for New York back at the minor league complex. The game will be televised on MLB Network on a delay and MLB TV, I think. Enjoy the day Yankees fans and Go Yankees!

Yankee Stadium Legacy: #20 Phil Rizzuto (Again)

Phil Rizzuto was part of seven World Series championship teams with the New York Yankees, claiming his first title in 1941. Rizzuto would have to wait until 1947 to get his second but would more than make up for lost time with five straight rings in pinstripes from 1949-1953. In 52 career World Series games Phil had 45 hits, 30 walks, 21 runs, and 10 stolen bases. On three different occasions Rizzuto had at least eight hits in a single World Series. #Clutch

20 days until Yankees Opening Day.

This Day In New York Yankees History 3/11

On this day in 2006 the New York Yankees lost out on an opportunity with their own free agent when first basemen and designated hitter Nick Johnson signed a three year contract extension worth $16.5 million with the Washington Nationals. The 27 year old first basemen signed a $3.2 million one year deal in January with the Nationals after spending his first five seasons with the Yankees.